|
|
 |
 |
| Sunday, 12 January 2003 |
 |
|
 |
Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
Opposition slam Aussie government decision to deploy troops in Iraq SYDNEY, Jan 11 (AFP) - Opposition leaders lashed out Saturday at Prime Minister John Howard's surprise decision to send troops to the Middle East ahead of a possible war with Iraq, demanding a parliamentary vote on the move. Howard announced Friday that Australian forces would probably be sent to areas around Iraq within weeks as part of a massive US-led military build-up for an invasion should Baghdad be deemed in violation of UN disarmament resolutions. His critics assailed the government for approving the forward deployment without parliamentary debate and for failing to ensure Australia would only join an attack on Iraq with UN approval. Howard insisted no formal decision had been made to join an eventual invasion force and that his government backed continued UN weapons inspections in an effort to avoid war, but his opponents were unconvinced. "It is two-faced for the prime minister to continue to claim no decision has been made about joining a war with Iraq, while actually sending Australian troops," said Andrew Bartlett, leader of the opposition Democrats party. The main opposition Labor Party said Howard's unilateral decision was dividing the Australian people, with opinion polls showing most voters were not convinced of the need to invade Iraq. "Labor totally opposes John Howard's decision to forward deploy Australian troops for war in Iraq," Labor foreign affairs spokesman Kevin Rudd said. "Mr Howard, in doing this, has fundamentally undermined whatever prospects remained for bipartisanship on this country's Iraq policy. "John Howard is edging this country closer to the sort of war Australians do not want and for which no case has been made." The leader of the Greens party, Senator Bob Brown, demanded Howard put the issue to the country's legislature for a vote, as US President George W. Bush has done. "Prime Minister Howard's announcement yesterday of land, air and sea commitments of Australian defence forces to the US invasion of Iraq is an outrageous snubbing of democracy," Brown said. |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
